The European arm of US fashion retailer Guess Inc is striving to deepen its connection with its crucial Gen Z consumer base with the launch of a new project in collaboration with the Lifestyle-Tech Competence Center (LTCC) and software provider Microsoft.
Guess Z Lab aims to co-create experiences and products that speak directly to Gen Z – the generation born between 1996 and 2010, which comprises about 30% of the world’s population.
The first workshop took place yesterday at Guess Europe HQ in Bioggio with 32 students from Ticino universities USI and SUPSI, with a second workshop with international students planned for the autumn, as well as a potential launch of a digital insight platform in 2022.
The aim is for Guess Europe to open up to young consumers, listen, and exchange ideas with them directly. Students and Guess employees will ideate hand-in-hand: marketing, sales, e-commerce, and advertising managers will discuss and test ideas in live design thinking environments.
“We were looking for a project that would connect us with the crucial part of our current and future market but would do so in an innovative way that would feel natural to the digital natives we are trying to reach,” explains Paul Marciano, chief creative officer for Guess, Inc. “We want the project to be a two-way conversation. We know that we will get extraordinary insights from them, but we also want to give them exposure to the business and show them what it means to build, position, and grow a brand.”
Guess Z Lab is one of the first projects by the LTCC – of which Guess is one of the founding members – a Swiss-based association that wants to promote innovation and synergies between relevant partners in the lifestyle arena. In particular, it aims at promoting collaboration between companies and academic institutions, encouraging the transfer of technology and knowledge in fashion, food, media, health, design, travel, smart-cities, eGovernance, and tech.
US Tariffs are shifting - will you react or anticipate?
Don’t let policy changes catch you off guard. Stay proactive with real-time data and expert analysis.
By GlobalData“LTCC was founded with the idea of growing local competencies. This project, in collaboration with local universities here in Ticino, gives us a chance to engage with the Gen Z audience and expose them to the realities of building and positioning a brand,” says Carlo Terreni, LTCC president. “Any brand which plans to engage with young consumers needs to open up to Gen Zers and actively engage with them, learn how to attract them, and support them in their future careers. Our mission at the LTCC is to foster these initiatives in established businesses through collaboration with big tech, and in this case, direct with consumers.”
The Guess Z Lab is also a way to give the students easier access to knowledge about the fashion industry, facilitate internships with the brand’s HQs, and support their thesis.
While the first workshop focused on USI and SUPSI, the idea is to go international and open up to students from Poland, Germany, Italy, Spain, and the UK later this year.
Longer-term, the aim is to create an online platform to continue the conversation with Gen Z internationally.
